Fehaid Al Deehani made history at the Deodoro shooting range by becoming the first athlete competing under the International Olympic Committee flag to win a gold medal, with the 49-year-old admitting this has been the toughest Games of his long career.
Kuwait are currently banned from taking part in the Olympics due to government interference in the country’s Olympic movement, disrupting Al Deehani’s preparation for the competition.
Rain and wind added a tricky dimension to the final prevaling 26-24 over Marco Innocenti of Italy taking silver, while British shooter Steven Scott claimed the bronze.
The Olympic flag was raised at the medal ceremony for Al Deehani, who has won two bronze medals at previous Games, with the Olympic anthem also played.
He said: “This was the toughest competition, everything was difficult; my preparation was sub-par – a war on every front. There are people who even didn’t want us to compete, but thank God, this gold medal is the biggest statement to some people to teach them.
“Competing under the Olympic flag is destiny but everyone knows I’m Kuwaiti, irrespective of which flag I’m flying. And that’s the least I can do for my country.
“Thank God I was able to hold my nerves. It’s a real shame I wasn’t able to do this under the Kuwaiti flag.
“Personal vendettas have nothing to do with me. Everyone must know that we have managed to compete, in spite of everyone who was against us.”
Al Deehani had rejected an offer from the IOC to carry the neutral flag at last Friday’s opening ceremony. He said at the time: “I am a military man and I will only carry the Kuwait flag. I cannot carry the IOC flag.”
Scott, who beat his fellow Briton Tim Kneale in the bronze shoot-off, admitted the conditions played a major part.
“The weather is certainly not what it has been in Rio the past few weeks… it wasn’t easy.”
Scott delivered a perfect score of 30 in wet and blustery conditions, while double trap world record holder Kneale missed two of his targets.
The colleagues embraced each other before and after the final, but it was Scott who collected a medal.
Reflecting on winning bronze after beating Kneale, Scott said: “Both of us put a tremendous amount of hard work and effort into this, just getting here alone, never mind shooting off for a medal.
“It is very, very emotional. There is a little part of me that wanted him to win as well.
“I was shooting off for bronze. Not only that, I was shooting off against my team-mate. Maybe that helped me relax a little. There was a part of me that felt a bit guilty, and I didn’t want to rub it in a team-mate’s face.”